By all means, I should have enjoyed War significantly less than I did. It has a simplistic story, an even blander title, and a first-time feature director whose biggest credits to date have been a few Eminem music videos. War almost sets up its own funeral pyre, only to pull off a surprising upset and emerge as a late summer action treat. It may not have the complexity or white-knuckle thrills of a Bourne Ultimatum, but it packs in more energy and ambition than the disappointing Rush Hour 3.

In a brutal, ongoing feud between Yakuza boss Shiro (Ryo Ishibashi) and Triad kingpin Chang (John Lone), a figure has emerged to stir things up: Rogue (Jet Li), an elusive killer for fire so swift and deadly, some consider him to be a myth. But after three years of laying low, Rogue has come back, seemingly betraying former boss Shiro by allying himself with Chang's gang. However, there's one man with a personal investment in Rogue's return: FBI agent John Crawford (Jason Statham), whose partner and his family were mercilessly slaughtered by the enigmatic assassin years ago.

As Crawford launches himself head-first into a quest to hunt down Rogue, the killer sets about fulfilling his own confusing agenda by instigating bloody battles between Yakuza and Triad forces, leaving Crawford and his men racing to stay one step ahead of Rogue while figuring out why he's playing both sides against one another.

If it's true that a movie is only as good as its actors, the reason War succeeds so well is because of the surprising  quality of its performances, especially for such an actionfest. Where lesser actors would grunt their way through their parts and throw out corny one-liners, Jet Li and Jason Statham do a solid job of presenting a more compelling pair of bitter rivals than audiences are used to. Statham, who's averaged about one action flick a year since his breakout in Guy Ritchie's Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, does a passable turn as your standard-issue Grizzled Cop, making his way through hammy dialogue like "Get ready for a war!" with relative ease. But it's Li, whose cinematic retirement has been greatly exaggerated, who provides his character with a very imposing presence, helping Rogue come across as every bit the almost mythical badass he's supposed to be. 

Still, War tends to play out in standard action movie fashion, with few highlights setting it apart from the untold scores of similar movies lounging around a video store near you. The story is a bit of a yawner, made as intriguing as it is due to wondering what in the world Rogue is really up to. There's an unexpected twist near the end that caught me off-guard, but it was soon followed by a death handled so badly -- considering the emotional build-up behind it -- you'd swear it was airlifted from X-Men: The Last Stand.

Aside from Rogue's assaults on various gang members, the action sequences are pretty bland, as are the crime lord villains. Amd Devon Aoki, the unique beauty previously seen in Sin City and DOA: Dead or Alive, doesn't even get a chance to show off her action chops or do justice to her gorgeous looks.

Although War may be forgotten by many viewers while they're on their way from the theater to the parking lot, it's a quick action fix -- and you could do a lot worse. 

MY RATING: *** (out of ****)

(Released by Lionsgate and rated "R" for sequences of strong bloody violence, sexuality/nudity and language.)